The EU's Special Investigative Task Force (SITF) was set up in 2011 to investigate allegations made by Dick Marty, special rapporteur of the Council of Europe. He alleged that organs were taken from prisoners killed by the KLA.

Mr Marty also alleged that KLA allies of current Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci engaged in heroin smuggling and assassinations.

Presenting his findings on Tuesday, Clint Williamson said the SITF concluded that "certain elements of the KLA intentionally targeted the minority population with acts of persecution".

The alleged crimes included unlawful killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, illegal detentions in camps in Kosovo and Albania, sexual violence, forced displacement of individuals from their homes and destruction of churches.

He said SITF concluded that the crimes were "sanctioned" by some KLA leaders.